advertising, book, Making Videos, Online Video, popular videos, Profit, Video Advertising, YouTube

Making of Sponsored Video

27 Comments

The folks that connected me with my recent sponsored video for GPSManiac did a blog entry that recounts the way the idea developed. Here’s the video, titled “Poor Man’s GPS.” It’s currently the third highest rated Comedy video of the day on YouTube, which is the highest rating I’ve yet received for a sponsored video.

This video was posted the day after a recent controversy, where I’ve been the target of a “YouTube Underground” operation. They don’t much care for my commercialism and marketing… which they believe perverts a site that’s about community. Ironic timing, but it seems the vast majority don’t mind a promotional video as long as it’s entertaining.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GsHnxykLok]

27 thoughts on “Making of Sponsored Video”

  1. I think you rock, Nalts, whatever you do. And whoever wrote the blog entry on the link you supplied is right: Spencer is bound for stardom! Congratulations! If you make a funny video, they will watch. If you make money from it, more power to you!

  2. Well, Jesus Christ I just wrote out this whole long message about how bad I feel for you and all that crap you’ve been put through by this whole “underground” bullshit, and then I went and lost it. I don’t know what the proper way to handle the problem is, and frankly these underground weirdos scare me so I tend to stifle my comments to avoid having them draw a bead on me too. Just know that every time I see this happen I just get so tired that I want to slap them upside the head and get them to focus on something a little more important to the world order, preferably outside of youtube.

    The only constructive thing I can say is to try and have a good time at the big shindig in Georgia this weekend. Spend alot of time listening to lemonette talk, since she has a soothing voice. Hang out with kelley and tracey and the other folks who really help you feel comfortable and will make you laugh. Try to sit back and relax and let the experience wash over you rather than getting too sucked into things, which is why I think you end up exhausted afterwards. (Of course I don’t really think that’s possible, but I can say it at least!)

    I also find that PrincessDiana can frequently have a very soothing effect on me (except for when she’s going off on something, at which times she is damn funny!). Get her to talk about cooking. She’s very soothing when she talks about cooking. And she’s hilarious when she talks about anything else, so there’s another tension relieving source for you!

    Have a GREAT time, I’ll be thinking of all of you, and I hope to see lots of great videos from everybody in the coming days. I’ll be in kelley’s stickam room if it’s open so if you happen by stick your head in and say hello.

    Cheers!

  6. I love how you don’t ever seem to “hide” anything and give us both sides to let us make a decision on our own. Peace be with you! 🙂

  7. I went and watched the boring diatribe by the guy with his face covered and my first thought was, ‘Why is Nalts even acknowledging this loser!’

    Forget him! Don’t give his type any more free publicity.

    You have been honest from the start about trying to monetise your vids.

  11. Ben, after reading the back and forth I concluded that as well. And it turns out that what Kevin did was the right thing, his response actually exposed their hypocrisy and made for a great video. The whole thing on their part looked almost like an orchestrated hit to get viewers. But, I’m glad he stood up to them, even though, in the end, they weren’t worth the bother. Lesson learned.

    GPS: Clever video and I agree with Marilyn, someone should sign that kid he literally will video for food.

    Spencer = mascotofnalts

  14. More an Aussie rules man myself stranger!

    I’ve watched a few of the underground’s vids now and I can appreciate that you want youtube to stay unique from mainstream media and it’s reliance on advertising.

    But don’t you agree that it would also be great if certain creators could actually make a $$ from their work? Better still, to shove it up mainstream media and make a living without the backing of a corporation!

    The Real News could be showing the way forward as are the guys at showinabox.tv

    This is all a new arena, I’m hoping WE are the media, and I think Nalts is just an early adaptor experimenting with different ways to try and make his hobby pay for itself, some of these methods may work, some may not.

    If the underground really want to be a force for good, why not target mainstream media, particularly mainstream media that steal ideas and material from vloggers

  15. I agree with Mark. Nalts may actually be on the cutting edge of a new take of how media is delivered and consumed. He spends a lot of time, money and energy on his videos and if he makes a few bucks on the side, I personally think that’s great. I am sure that whatever money he currently makes on his videos does not compensate for the effort he puts into them. YouTube was never going to remain free of the “taint” of advertising, product placement, etc. And nor should it. If we want sites like this to remain viable, we have to allow capitalism into the picture.

  16. Elephant Burp: a ten second clip on an elephant burping. 655,856 views on Youtube in less than a week. Let’s not overintellectualize our audience. If this is what headlines Youtube, why NOT share ad income with EVERYBODY?

  17. “why NOT share ad income with EVERYBODY?”…….exactly! Thats what i keep saying,im on pace for 1.5 million views(on youtube)and growing,and none of my videos are monetized,except for the ones i added music to,and thats split between gootube and the artist.Thats a lot of potential ad revenue just thrown away! BTW,i just made the top 15 on revvers most viewed list(see link),not bad for a 4 second video huh?

  20. If youtube shared ad rev with everyone they’d go broke. Besides, I think their attitude is why pay for the cow…

    steve that viedio was pretty clever, what did you make on it at revver, if I may ask?

  21. If they want the milk for free, jis, why pay anybody? Just to try to kill Revver? To sew dissension between the ranks? Smoke screening? Speaking of smoke screening, did you notice that when thousands of ‘tubers were loudly protesting the InVideo ads–swamping the YT blog–suddenly the YT comments system went bonkers and everybody’s attention was diverted to that? (Conspiracy Theory # 45632 registered 2007)

  23. well I don’t know if they are trying to kill revver or any other online ad paying outfit, but before people started to get paid, several were testing the waters elsewhere and moving over to Live; remember Reneto’s big plea not to move? So perhaps that was part of the partnership reason. It’s also very appealing that if any schmo, like Reneto, can make it “big” you can too. So you upload more and more hoping one day you too will get paid. Let’s face it, the people who upload are the ones who watch youtube the most. These are the foundation people. However, I’ve heard youtube mention so many times on NBC now I’m beginning to wonder if GE owns stock in google.

    I’ve no real problem with how youtube conducts business, people will buy watch or sell what ever they want or don’t want, and when it comes to youtube, worldwise, it’s just a blip on the screen right now, pun intended.

    I don’t know if chad and steve or the guys at google knew the real potential money maker youtube would or could be, I’m guessing eventually, yes. More and more commercial enterprises are moving in and there’s no stopping that. Why would they pay everyone when they will have the most profitable commercialized outfits cutting deals and generating cash for them in the future?

    I don’t mean to diminish the power and potential of youtube, it’s a great place to advertise and express a view, not to mention its political value and finding some very weird and interesting people lurking. I feel safer just knowing where they are 😉

    My guess is, in the end, they will stick to the laws of advertising and Marketing 101. I think it would be interesting to know what a number of those techniques are.

    GuruofNalts care to share?

  24. I’m only coming up on half a million Youtube views, Steve, but still I feel the sting of what could have been. Revver has paid me $5391 so far for half the effort I put into YT. Why do I even bother with YT anyway?

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